tonight on "nightline" -- every vote counted. a stirring moment as congresswoman gabby giffords, still recovering from a gunshot wound that almost killed her, makes a surprise appearance in the capitol to cast her vote in the bitter and contentious battle over the debt. diane sawyer is inside the capitol, asking tea party members and the leaders of both parties tough questions. tragic turn. a grisly discovery. 11-year-old celina cass is found dead in a river near her home. the latete revelations in a case that's broken the heart of a small new hampshire town. >plus, blaze of glory. bon jovi turns 50. middle age has not slowed down this rock star. ♪ you give love ♪ a bad name he just finished the highest grossing concert tour of the year and now he's on a personal campaign to give back to the

poor. good evening, i'm terry moran. there was high political drama for high stakes tonight under that grand old dome back there. a battle to the wire over the national debt and a scene of stirring courage and patriotism as congresswoman gabrielle giffords, still recovering from a gunshot wound to the head she suffered in january, stunned her colleagues, casting a vote to help end the crisis. for a moment, just a moment, she brought divided washington together. it was a moment that almost redeemed this whole political fiasco. [ applause ] on the floor of the house of representatives, which for weeks has been a well of bitterness

and rancor, there she was, a tiny woman, her close-cropped hair a badge of her recovery from being shot in the head at point blank range. gabby giffords came back to congss to vote. and her colleagues, united for once, rose to cheer her. afterwards, minority leader nancy pelosi hailed her courage. >> throughout america there isn't a name that stirs more love, more admiration, more respect, more wishing for our daughters to be like her than the name of congresswoman gabby giffords. thank you, gabby, for doing this today. [ applause ] >> reporter: her closest friend in the house, representative debbie wasserman schultz of florida, told diane sawyer what this moment meant. >> she received thunderous applause, hug, tears. even the hardest hearts, which

we had a lot of hardened hearts in this debate, juststelted when she walked in the room. >> reporter: it was in january, seven months ago at a congress on your corner town hall meeting she was holding that giffords was gunned down by a mentally deranged young man, jared lee loughner. six people were killed in loughner's rampage. 13 others wounded. including giffords. the attack coming as the nation's political discourse seemed to be growing more vicious and polarized by the week, stunned the country. president obama spoke at a memorial service for the dead. >> if this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let's make sure it's worthy of those we have lost. >> reporter: for gabby giffords the road to recovery has been long and arduous. the bullet passed through her brain, and she spent months in hospitals. at first the merest flicker of life meant everything. >> a few minutes after we left her room gabby opened her eyes for the first time. [ cheers and applause ]

>> reporter: her husband, space shuttle astronaut mark kelly, was by her side every day. as doctors marveled at her strength and the extent of her recovery -- >> and liftoff. >> reporter: -- gabby giffords left the hospital to watch her husband blast off into space on his last shuttle mission. >> she would say that, you know, it's time to turn something really bad into something good. she would want for something positive to come out of it. >> reporter: tonight, as she came back to the house in an hour of national need, we may be learning what it is gabby giffords wants to do. and just after the vote, congresswoman giffords tweeted, "the capitol looks beautiful, and i am honored to be at work tonight." well, it may look beautiful, but there's a lot of grumbling over there. a bitter pill is how many members, democratic and republican, describe tonight's vote, which raised the debt limit and cut spending. and may have prevented an economic catastrophe.

it was just a wild, tense day over there. and abc's diane sawyer was in the capitol as the clock ticked, ticked down. >> reporter: right up to the end of the voting it was a nail-biter. >> the bill is passed -- >> reporter: up on capitol hill a cross-roads so important even wounded tucson congresswoman gabrielle giffords came all the way back to washington to cast a vote. a yes. and so the budget control act of 2011 passed the house of representatives tonight. averting an economic disaster. america will not default on its debts. but it doesn't mean all the republicans or democrats who voted for it like what they've done. bill, sir.oing to get behind the >> reporter: there was disillusionment on all sides. we caught up with house speaker john boehner. the famous dealmaker seemed unfazed. so where would you rank this on the level of stress? >> i don't do stress.

we've got a job to do and we got it done. >> to the members who are still holding out, just talk to some of them down there, still holding out, saying this is just wrong to do, wrong to do this late. >> i understand that some people want more. i'd like to do more. it's not perfect. but is it a good step in the right direction? yes. >> reporter: so what are you going to be doing tomorrow morning? >> hopefully hiding somewhere. >> reporter: minority leader nancy pelosi made it clear how she felt. as you know, congressman cleaver said this is a satan sandwich. >> it probably is, with some satan fries on the side. >> reporter: we sat down together not long before the vote. >> we've never held up the president like this. we're not going to lift the debt limit unless you go to this extreme. we all know we have to reduce the deficit. democrats support that. we want to make the cuts and the rest. but in a way that does not hurt our economic recovery. and i'm afraid this bill may do that. >> reporter: you think this is

really going to hurt real people? >> well, i hope not. how could we have severe cuts to our domestic agenda, the education of our children, for example, and not one red cent coming from those who can afford to share the sacrifice that is necessary to reduce the deficit? >> reporter: not only was speaker boehner working to get members to vote yes, his second in command, eric cantor, worked hard to get republicans in line, too. >> this is a big deal. you know, we are really trying to demonstrate that -- i don't want him to run into that. >> reporter: careful. >> that we've come here to washington to change the way this place works. >> reporter: and even the members of the tea party, who arrived in congress seven months ago -- >> this is the first time we're going to raise the debt ceiling in our history by imposing more cuts than the raise of the debt ceiling itself. this president's addicted to spending, and limiting him, trying to control that spending as best we can i think is the best fight we can have until

2012. >> reporter: for others it was not enough. even with all the spending cuts. no new taxes. they would not do it. >> imagine that you've got a 1,500-foot hole and a politician walks by and tosses down a 22-foot ladder. that's what the spending cuts in this bill do for fy-12. >> reporter: but then help me understand the difference, congressman, between you and the two on your right. >> my question would be what is the alternative? if we really analyze the politics of it, if we hold firm, at some point the markets will start to crash, and i believe part of our conference will get weak and they'll vote for something less than this. and what we did is make a point. we didn't make any progress. >> reporter: what about that, congressman, senator? >> i can't control what other people do or say. i can only control the one vote i've been bestowed upon by the people in the tennessee valley. and the sole issue to me is are we fixing the problem?

it's quite clear to me that we're not. >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm diane sawyer in washington. >> thanks to diane for that report on a wild day h he. up next, we're going to turn our attention elsewhere, to new hampshire and to the heartbreaking story of a young girl found dead as a town mourns and a mystery deepens. oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. sort of like two in one. how did you guys think of that? it just came to us. what? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today.

what if we designed an electric motorcycle? what if we turned trash into surfboards? whatever your what if is, the new sprint biz 360 has custom solutions to make it happen, including mobile payment processing, instant hot spots, and 4g devices like the motorola photon. so let's all keep asking the big what ifs. sprint business specialists can help you find the answers. sprint. america's favorite 4g network. trouble hearing on the phone? visit sprintrelay.com. we asked them to be part of an experiment to prove febreze air effects eliminates tough cooking odors. [ facilitator ] take a deep breath, tell me what you smeme. it's grassy. it's green. it smells like fresh wood. like a latte. [ facilitator ] go ahead and take your blindfolds off. oh my goodness. are you serioio? wow. i think my nose touched that. [ facilitator ] ok, rachel, annie. wow. [ male announcer ] eliminate tough odors with febreze air effects so you can breathe happy guaranteed.

[ male announcer ] eliminate tough odors with febreze air effects purina cat chow helps you well-being. we're all striving for it. nurture it in your cat with a full family of excellent nutrition and helpful resources. purina cat chow. share a better life.

we turn now to a strange, sad case out of new hampshire. a missing 11-year-old girl was found dead this evening. her body found in a river not far from her home.

celina cass' hometown, her disappearance so shocking, police planned to interview every person in town. from west stuartton, new hampshire, we have the story. >> reporter: population, one less than it should be. this tiny new england town which looks like a painting by norman rockwell is now the scene of a mystery worthy of stephen king. >> we are treating it as a criminal investigation based on what we know at this juncture. >> reporter:r:11-year-old celin cass was last seen last monday night. her family says they last saw her at the computer as they headed to bed. after she was reported missing tuesday, family friends like cara birdman were shocked, scared and desperate for answers. >> i don't even know what i would do if that were my child missing. >> reporter:r: dozens of law enforcement and volunteers fanned out hoping to find her alive but those hopes were in vain. they came here this morning to the upper connecticut river. it was here that divers went into the water and found her body over there by that wall.

many images from this case, the poster, the candlelight vigil, the search dogs, are what we typically see when a child goes missing. but some things in this case haven't followed that formula. for starters, we usually hear from the immediate family. think back to elizabeth smart. >> i'm asking and i'm pleading that i would do anything to have her back in my arms. >> reporter: this time, the police reportedly instructed celina's mother and stepfather to keep quiet. the couple put up no trespassing signs and covered the house with blankets. then there was this. >> they have street treated the residence lake a crime scene in effect. that is telling me they believe there is something relevant in that house. >> reporter: police have made no arrests and no one has been declared a suspect. investigators always look first to those closest to the victim, family members. according to court document, celina's stepfather, windal noise, was involuntarily committed to a hospital in 2003

for schizophrenia. the judge ruled his condition was a potentially serious likelihood of danger to himself and others at that time. he was also charged with violating a protective order held by y s ex-girlfriend and for criminal trespassing. >> did you sleep at all last night? >> yes. >> you did? >> yes. >> reporter: this morning, he appeared remorse when approached by a local reporter. >> what can people do to help you? >> not really in the mood. >> reporter: his day was about to get much worse. witnesses say he came out of his house drunk and collapsed. an ambulance carted him to a nearby hospital. here's the thing. so far nobody has said anything was wrong in celina's home, inclauding her biological father, adam laro, who spoke with her just a month ago. >> i did ask her, everything going okay with your mother and yo your new daddy? she said no, everything's okay, daddy. >> reporter: so for now,

questioning. with no signs of struggle, how did celina leave the house? remember, she was on the computer. could she have been coaxed away by someone she met online? >> typically if there is no forced entry, she wasn't pulled against her own will. >> reporter: most importantly, how did she end up in the water? >> she was located in the water so we are trying to d dermine how her body was put in the water. >> reporter: celina was found roughly a quarter of a mile from her home. lice say the investigation will now focus on vehicles in the area. >> we have brought celina home. not the way we wanted to bring her home. >> reporter: and though the death is yet to be ruled homicide pending an autopsy tomorrow, some people will have trouble sleeping tonight, worried that a killer is on the loose. i'm ron claiborne for "nightline" in new hampshire. the world's best yogurts ekm for activia selects in paris we discovered the inspiration for a totally new yogurt.

activia selects french so silky and smooth with lots of juicy fruit. then our search took us to beautiful greece and this thick and creamy greek yogurt, so rich and full of flavor. it was a grueling trip! try new activia french and greek yogurt. a world of great new tastes.

my name is ashley and my blog is not without salt. when i take pictures of my food, you don't want to see spots on the dishes. i was using cascade actionpacs. they just didn't have that brilliant shine. when i took the finish challenge, i was thrilled. as soon as i opened up the dishwasher, i could tell there was a difference. my dishes had a shine on them. this little guy right here makes my dishes incredibly shiny. i'm moving on to finish quantum. take the finish challenge for yourself. if you don't see a difference, it's free.

♪ we were skipping stones ♪ and letting go ♪ over the river and down the road ♪ ♪ she was waiting up around the nd ♪ ♪ smile at me and then you take my hand ♪ [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, where delicious ingredients like toasted oats, with rich dark chocolate, sweet golden honey, or creamy peanut butter come together in the most perfect combinations. ♪ i was thinking that i hope this never ends ♪ ♪ yeah, i was just thinking ♪ i hope this will never end

affect over one million homes each year. without regular maintenance, septic tanks can back up, causing a disgusting mess and countless hours of repair. introducing new rid-x septi-pacs. easy-to-use dissolvable pouches that help prevent disgusting septic back-ups. the powerful dual action formula has enzymes to immediately break down waste and time-release bacteria that work continuously to reduce tank build-up. use rid-x once a month and help save yourself from disaster. rid-x. number one in septic maintenance.

he's sold more concert tickets last year than lady gaga. this year, he turns 50. lara spencer went on the town with jon bon jovi. >> all right, mr. bon jovi. >> my dad's not here but okay. >> sitting in a car alongside jon bon jovi almost immediatete i found myself wanting to ask him not about his music but what really matters too his female fans worldwide. i had to know about that famous luscious hair. your dad was a marine turned hairstylist. >> yeah. >> so was he a fan of the famous hair-do? >> he created it. >> he did. >> sure. >> i look like cousin it. i just had a big ball of hair. >> so we can say on the record that's all bon jovi -- can i give it a -- >> susu, you can. >> sorry -- with that fantasy

crossed off the bucket list, we got down to business. >> let's show the e rld what you're made of. >> after three decades, bon jovi the band still thrilling fans and selling out arenas with their '80s anthems. ♪ shot through the heart and you're to blame ♪ ♪ you give love a bad name >> are your surprised you're still selling out like this? >> pleased. not surprised. i think the harder we rshg the luckier we get. >> they had the top grossing tour of 2010. bringing in more than $200 million in revenue. and beating out some of today's most popular artists. >> it's been glorious. the biggest tour on the planet earth last year. >> bigger than kanye, catty perry and justin bieber put together. >> yeah, that's not even the same league. >> cocky? maybe a little. bon jovi has the goods to back it up. is there one song you don't want to sing anymore? >> no. >> love them all still? >> the ones i sing i love. it's like you don't want to sing

no, i really like singing it. >> as bon jovi approaches the big 50, he realizes it's about more than just being a rock star. if you could finish this sentence, 50 is -- >> good. really good. fulfilled. i get great pleasure in giving back. >> he was in newark, new jersey, as part of his new role as the only celebrity on president obama's white house council for community solutions. >> you see the vulnerable young believer who wants a change or a second chance. >> what's more fulfilling, making a difference in the leaders of tomorrow or headlining at major arenas all over the world? >> my job doesn't define who i am. we're still here. we're at the top of the game. we're writing songs that have been a part of the patchwork of american culture for nearly three decades. >> bon jovi says he was always this confidence. even when he was lacking for his first break. >> i went to a radio station on

long island in 1982. this guy was on the air and he loved music. so he answered the door. when a kid knocked on it. tell me am i crazy, listen to this tape. he did. he says, you're not crazy, it sounds like a hit song. the song "runaway" was sitting on all those record company guy's desks for a year and got no response. ♪ ooh she's a little runaway >> four years after that trip to the radio station, their album "slippery when wet" was a soaring success. jon's had personal successes as well. married for 22 years to his high school sweetheart, dorthea. they have four kids including a daughter who's off to college in ththfall. so how do you guys manage to stay together as a team? >> everybody has the same dream. everybody believes. everybody plays a certain role. and it works. it works. it works very well. ♪ you gotta hold on >> this is lara spencer for ig